Sunderland have ‘offered €80m’ for ‘very complete’ Barcelona star – shock report | OneFootball

Sunderland are ready to raid Barcelona for one of their star players, according to an outlandish Spanish report, which has also revealed the Blaugrana’s stance on selling him to the Black Cats, but TEAMtalk believes that this is simply not credible.

Expected to be among the sides fighting for survival in the Premier League upon their return to the English top flight, Sunderland have defied expectations so far this season. A credible 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Stadium of Light at the weekend has left Sunderland in fourth place in the Premier League table after 11 rounds of matches.

If Sunderland continue on this path, then it is very likely that the Black Cats will delve into the transfer market in January to push for Champions League qualification, but even the most loyal fans will be shocked at a new report in Spain about a raid on Barcelona.

According to Fichajes, Sunderland want Barcelona star Fermin Lopez in a €80million (£70.3m, $92.5m) deal in 2026.

The report in the Spanish news outlet has claimed that Sunderland have ‘offered €80million’ for Lopez, who is a versatile player and can play as a left winger, attacking midfielder and central midfielder.

Sunderland’s ‘intention is for Fermin to become the leader of the new project, alongside young stars who are already making a name for themselves in the Premier League’, according to the report.

The report has also outlined Barcelona’s stance on selling Lopez to Sunderland in 2026.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has ‘expressed his desire to keep’ Lopez, having described him as a “very complete” player who “has it all: he’s dynamic, he has speed” in October 2025.

However, last season’s LaLiga champions could be tempted to cash in on him because of their financial issues.

Although Barcelona have not given Sunderland ‘a definitive answer’ to their proposal for Lopez, there is now an ongoing ‘internal debate’ at the Spanish club over the future of the 22-year-old, who has scored six goals and given four assists in 11 appearances for the Blaugrana so far this season.

Why Fermin Lopez to Sunderland is EXTREMELY unlikely

First of all, it must be noted that Fichajes is not one of the most reliable news outlets.

So, the claim that Sunderland want to sign Lopez and are even ready to pay big money for the Barcelona star has to be treated with extreme caution.

Until and unless other more reputable sources in Spain and/or England back this claim, Sunderland and Barcelona fans need not read too much into this rumour.

Secondly, it is hard to envisage Sunderland being so ambitious as to try to sign a major Barcelona star.

While it is true that Sunderland are in a great position at the moment to finish in the Premier League top four, the Black Cats’ chiefs are prudent enough not to get carried away – after all, we are only in early November.

True, Sunderland co-owners Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori will have lofty ambitions for the club, but they will also be aware of the need to consolidate the Black Cats’ position in the Premier League first.

Thirdly, Lopez himself may not be keen on a move to Sunderland, even if Regis Le Bris’ side do qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Sunderland may not be able to sustain their current high levels, and Lopez will be aware that other bigger clubs are after him.

At Barcelona, Lopez is at one of the biggest clubs in the world that regularly compete to win domestic and European honours. There would be no such guarantee at Sunderland.